LANDS and Natural Resources Minister Sylvia Masebo has refuted reports circulating on social media which are claiming that she was chased and stoned by an angry mob in her own constituency in Kapasa area of Chongwe District yesterday.
Addressing the media in Lusaka this afternoon, Masebo dismissed the claims as false and misleading stating that her visit to Kapasa was peaceful and documented on a live video shared on her Facebook page.
She encouraged netizens see her Facebook live feed yesterday and confirm for themselves that she was indeed not chased.
Masebo explained that the disturbance only occurred after external individuals whom she described as thugs, were called in to disrupt her departure from the area.
“And today some people are writing stories that ‘Masebo was at Kapasa, she was chased…She went running,’ why are you misleading the people, where was I chased, we had a meeting in Kapasa, you know it yourselves, it was live, so why not follow the live arrangement?”
“It’s only when people from outside were called, thugs were called to come and disrupt it. And when we were driving away, they started shouting and throwing stones. Then you want to create a false narrative to the Zambian people,” she said.
The minister also addressed additional allegations that she was chased in Njolwe area of the same district, a place she said she has not yet visited.
She accused certain individuals of using propaganda to incite unrest in the community and preempt her planned visit to resolve local disputes.
“Now, the reason why you are writing that story is because you know that on my timetable I’m supposed to go to Njolwe to resolve the problems there. So you are preempting me and trying to get the people of Njolwe to rise against me as Minister of Lands,” she said.
Masebo added that the false narratives are part of a broader agenda to de-stabilise her leadership and influence public opinion against the government.
“What do you want to achieve? And those are the kind of people that you guys want to support, that they should come back and take over Zambia again, to rule this country using violence, to run this country on propaganda? Is that what you Zambians want? Anyway, the choice is yours, but we always come back to you,” she said.
Masebo further expressed disappointment in Zambians who fall for such propaganda and urged them to focus on progressive leadership.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, November 26, 2024
